Fawn

Pronunciation

• IPA: /fɔːn/
• Rhymes: -ɔːn
• Homophones: faun

From Old French faon.

Full definition of fawn

Noun

1. A young deer.
2. A pale brown colour tinted with yellow, like that of a fawn.
3. (obsolete) The young of an animal; a whelp.
• Hollandtigress ... followeth ... after her fawns.

Adjective

1. Of the fawn colour.

Derived terms

• fawn lily

Verb

1. (intransitive) To give birth to a fawn.

From Middle English fawnen, from Old English fahnian, fagnian, fæġnian ("to rejoice, make glad")

OED|fawn

. Akin to Old Norse fagna ("to rejoice")

Webster 1913|fawn

. See also fain.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To exhibit affection or attempt to please.
2. (intransitive) To seek favour by flattery and obsequious behaviour (with on or upon).
• ShakespeareYou showed your teeth like apes, and fawned like hounds.
• MiltonThou with trembling fear,
  Or like a fawning parasite, obeyest.
• Macaulaycourtiers who fawn on a master while they betray him
• 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 2, That the young Mr. Churchills liked—but they did not like him coming round of an evening and drinking weak whisky-and-water while he held forth on railway debentures and corporation loans. Mr. Barrett, however, by fawning and flattery, seemed to be able to make not only Mrs. Churchill but everyone else do what he desired.
3. (intransitive, of a dog) To wag its tail, to show devotion.

Synonyms

• seek favour by flattery grovel, wheedle

Derived terms

• fawn over